The Prize
by Iryl
Summary: She pulled herself, shaking, onto the bench beside him. 'So I owe you something for saving my life.' She was teasing, but he took her up on it. When she heard his reply, she stopped smiling and looked at him. Really looked at him. 'A kiss,' she repeated.
1. The Kiss

**The Prize**

**by Iryl**

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**Author's Notes:**

**AU: **This is slightly AU, so expect some things to be different and some to stay the same. Please don't tell me I messed up because Li isn't doing magic or doesn't know about Clow. I left out anything that would make the plot too cumbersome -- this is a light romance, something to get me away from the novel I'm working on.

**Complete:** This story is finished and will be posted _as it is typed_. I just need to type it up. So you don't have to worry about it being finished because it already is. It will all be up when I add the Epilogue.

Along with that, chapters will be scenes -- when I change scenes, the chapter will change. This means that some chapters will be a few paragraphs and others will be a few pages. This allows me to post more often as I type it up.

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It was dark in the park. Syaoran Li had just moved to Tomoeda and it was on his first night that he felt the dark, stirring magic.

He hurried to the park, still in his jeans and t-shirt. He had been brushing his teeth when the magic pricked his mind and had run out of the house, startling Wei (his cousin Meilin was already asleep).

There. He honed in on the sense and ran into the trees. There was another magic now, clean and white, battling the first.

He burst onto a jogging path, startling one of the combatants, who was knocked down by a blast of dark energy and landed by a bench. They didn't get up.

The creature came toward him, man-like but with tendrils of wriggling hair and skin the color of burnt wood.

He darted back as the creature struck, then took his own weapon from around his neck. A moment later, clashing steel filled the area.

In the end, he skewered the monster with its own weapon -- a curved blade like a short scythe.

Panting a little, he allowed himself to check the prone figure half-hidden by the park bench -- and caught his breath. She lay tragic and pale, almost artistically placed with her skirts, pale as moonlight, strewn around her. She seemed to glow in the night; the sight of her almost crippled him -- Syaoran found his knees trying to buckle.

When she moved, he let out a gasp that brought him back to reality and knelt beside her.

She sat up, looking dazed and lifting an automatic hand to check her mask. She wore a white mask with lace at the edges that disguised her eyes. Syaoran wondered why.

She searched the area around them before standing up, noting the fallen creature a few feet away. "Did you get them?"

Syaoran paused. "Them?"

Her eyes widened and she whirled, catching sight of movement and flinging out her hands with a wild "Fiery!"

A creature Syaoran had not seen creeping up on them was incinerated. "Wow," he said.

The girl, probably his age, turned and smiled at him. She pulled herself, shaking, onto the bench beside her. "So what do I owe you for saving my life?" She was teasing, but he took her up on it. When she heard his reply, she stopped smiling and looked at him -- really looked at him. "A kiss," she repeated.

He didn't really know how he'd had the nerve to say that, but, before she could shake the surprise off, he took her chin and tilted her lips up to his.

They were both blushing furiously the whole time, but Syaoran forced himself to be calm. His lips were warm and insistent, and after a few seconds she responded.

Then he was in heaven. By the time it ended, he found that he'd sat beside her and had gathered her in his arms. She had a dreamy, ravished look about her that made him want to kiss her again, but she came to herself before he could work up the courage.

"Oh," she said, backing out of his arms as if she'd just been walking and found herself on the ground. "I need," her eyes flew up to his as if embarrassed to look at him, "to go home."

"What's your name?" he asked as she stood.

She looked over her shoulder at him -- did she know how delicious her shoulders looked? -- and replied too innocently, "But you've already used your reward." Then she gave an impish smile, muttered "Illusion," and disappeared.

He gaped at where she had been, then sat back and thought about the evening. Touching his lips, he smiled. It hadn't been a waste.


	2. Tomoyo

Sakura went through the next day in a daze. She'd been . . . kissed. Kissed! Her! By a handsome, dashing stranger. It was like a fairytale -- she only wished she could tell Tomoyo. 

The thought of her best friend dampened her mood. Tomoyo had mad her fighting costumes, had recorded her battles, but Sakura had been too stupid and flattered to make her stop -- too young and naieve to tell Tomoyo "Go home. Go to bed. Go be safe for tomorrow." Instead, she had allowed the girl to tag along in dangerous situations, putting herself in danger.

They had both been stupid.

"Tomoyo," she whispered, tears in her eyes. There was the bell. She had to get to class.


	3. Twofer

That evening, Syaoran was ready for the prickle of magic that called him. He wore his most comfortable clothes and best fighting shoes. 

When it came, he ran. It was in a different part of the park than the previous evening but he found it easily.

She was there, magic swirling around her as she kept the monsters back. Her skirt was fluttering and she had that ethereal glow around her again.

With a grin and a war-cry, he dashed in to engage one of the three creatures.

"Fiery!" Her spell took out one and knocked the other off its feet. "Earthy!" The ground itself rose and crushed the second. Syaoran, his opponent distracted, cut it down.

"That's the second time in as many nights you've helped me. I'm going to start expecting this if you're not careful." She was smiling a gentle, teasing smile, but her cheeks were on fire.

"I took one down," he nodded toward the body on the ground, "so do I get another reward?"

She blushed and gulped, and he just couldn't help walking closer and flustering her. "Do you think that you deserve one?" She couldn't look at him, but she was smiling under her blush.

He laughed -- she _was_ gutsy! And pretty . . . and sweet . . . and kissable . . . He moved his face close to hers and smiled. She was just a little shorter than him, so he could reach her lips without trouble, but he held back. "I want my payment," he said, pleased to see that her eyes were hazy and her lips parted reflexively. He wanted nothing more than to kiss those lips, but he only spoke two words. "Your name."

She blinked, coming slowly to her senses. And the look of horror and embarrassment on her face was almost too much to bear.

"Please," he said, alarmed, because she was drawing away and her eyes looked surprisingly wet.

"I'm sorry," she gasped, her face burning. "I didn't mean to . . ."

"Wait, please." He instinctively pulled her into his arms and buried his face in her hair. "I didn't mean it that way. I just want to know more about you. Please."

She pulled back a little, not looking at him. "I'm . . . They call me the Mistress of Clow."

"Mistress?" he asked, looking at her. "Is there a . . . Master . . . of Clow -- or just a Clow -- that I should be worried about?"

She looked at him then, a small, shy smile at the worry in his voice. "There was a Clow," she told him, then (at his tragic expression) she laughed and added, "before I was born. I'm the mistress of his magic. I inherited it." She smiled beatifically.

He relaxed only a little. "_Are_ you seeing anyone?" He was tense and nervous -- sweat was popping out on his neck that had nothing to do with the fight he'd just finished. He didn't know why her answer was so important to him. It just was.

She laughed, soft and sweet. "That's a twofer. Ask me next time I owe you one." She turned and smiled at him over her shoulder, but after a moment her countenance turned sad. He knew what she was thinking -- the mock-kiss.

"If you tell me, I'll owe _you_ one. You can even ask me to kiss you." His smile was easy.

She stared at him, nervous, and shook her head. "Why would I ask that?" She put a hand on a plastic slide to steady herself and he moved in.

"Your body language." She didn't back away. "Tell you what," he whispered. "You tell me what I want to know and then I'll kiss you." His eyes twinkled. "If you really don't want me to, just tell me no. That way, you don't even need to ask."

He had backed her against the poles of the slide. Her breath was coming quickly and her face was tipped to look at him.

"Are you seeing anyone?" he whispered. Her lips were inches away.

"No."

He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding and, with a triumphant laugh, swooped in and met her lips with his. This time she responded immediately, moving her warm mouth under his. He sort of melted inside when he felt her kissing him back.

"How do you do this to me?" she murmured when he released her. He stroked her hair and she clung to his chest. "I barely even know you. Before last night, I . . ."

"What?" he asked, keeping his voice down instinctually. Her hair smelled familiar -- some kind of blossom -- and an impossible sort of peace had filled him. She shook her head against him, and he pulled back a little. "You've never been kissed before, have you?" When she bit her lip and didn't answer, he pulled her forward and kissed her again, gently. "Neither," he murmured, pressing his forehead against hers, "have I."

"But," she looked at him with wide eyes, "you . . ."

He smiled. "Kissed you, yes. When the most beautiful girl you've ever seen offers you a reward, what do you choose? A kiss." He grinned at her and she thought she had never seen any boy as handsome.

She blushed. "You don't even know what I look like."

"We can fix that." He reached for her mask but she stopped his hand, smiling apologetically.

"You couldn't take it off if you wanted -- I keep it on with the Lock spell."

"And you won't take it off for me?" It was light banter, but there was a serious question underneath.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But how can you expect me . . . I don't even know your name." Her eyes pleaded with him.

He nodded. "Okay."

"I'm sorry," she murmured, casting Illusion over herself. Just as she was about to take flight, she stopped and listened. He was looking into the night and calling after her.

"Li. Syaoran Li." And he walked home, leaving her stunned and alone in the quiet lamplight.


	4. Steady

Sakura went to school the next day feeling confused. She had allowed that boy to kiss her again, but she barely knew him. Who was he? And why did he keep showing up? 

It was becoming less of a fairytale and more of a drama -- one that kept her preoccupied through all of her classes.

In P.E. she got smacked by a stray volleyball and knocked on her butt. The embarrassment and fall both stung enough, so she didn't need to hear that low, familiar voice.

"Can't stay on your feet, monster? I suppose those big feet don't help matters." An elegant, long-fingered hand moved into her field of vision. She glared at the dark-haired young man as he helped her up. "You okay?" He was shifting to walk away even as he asked.

"Yeah," she replied in a voice as soft as the one he'd used. "Thanks, Touya." She tried to pay attention after that.

Her brother was two years ahead of her, an eighteen-year-old senior at their high school and one of the most popular boys on campus. He ignored most of the other students, preferring to spend time with himself or his longtime friend, Yukito.

Today, her friends wre talking in class about the new boy and girl from Hong Kong. It seemed, she found out when she couldn't find Touya at lunch, that the school had assigned Touya and Yukito to show the new kids around the school and that this was the reason she hadn't seen her brother since P.E.

She had a suspicion that Yukito had more to do with setting this up than her brother had, and that the latter probably just went along because Yuki had asked him to.

"Hello, Sakura," said a pleasant voice from behind her as she put away her lunch.

"Yukito!" she replied, turning around with a smile for one of her favorite people. There were, as she suspected, two strangers with him, but what she didn't expect was that one of those would be that boy -- Li -- whose lips she had been reacquainted with just last night.

He was looking away toward the fountain, so she had time to look away and fake another smile. She knew that her expression was somewhat desperate, but she tried to hide it by picking up her things.

"Syaoran Li, Meilin Li," Yukito told them, smiling, "this is Sakura, Touya's sister."

"Little sister," Touya specified, his arms folded. "Right, monster?"

"Right," she replied, not really thinking about her response.

Touya frowned.

"Hello," the Li cousins murmured, bowing.

"Good morning," she replied softly, not looking up. All she could think of was how the sunlight brought out the highlights in his hair and glinted in his eyes. She didn't know that they were amber.

"Afternoon."

Sakura's head came up, her eyes meeting Syaoran's. "What?"

"You said 'good morning.' It's afternoon." His voice was flat and cool, almost negligent.

She stared at him, but before she could respond the bell rang.

Touya put a hand on Yukito's shoulder. "I'll catch up." The three left and Touya put a hand on his sister's arm.

She was just about to head for class but paused to look up at him. Her eyes were clear but it seemed she had just suffered a blow.

"Are you okay?"

For a moment, she was terrified that he'd noticed her reaction to Syaoran. But the look he gave her was not suspicious. "Not really." She moved and was in his arms. It was different from being near Syaoran Li. Li represented excitement and discovery, but Touya was safety and old, faithful love. Touya was steady and reliable. Touya would be there to pick up her pieces.

She began to cry into his school blazer and he held her until she calmed.

"I knew you weren't sleeping well lately -- ever since Tomoyo . . ." He trailed off and looked away over her head. When she had calmed down, he sent her home to get some rest.

Sakura walked slowly all the way home, feeling horrible. Maybe . . . maybe he had been preoccupied. That's why he hadn't recognized her or been kinder. Assimilating to a new school had to be tough.

Vaguely cheered, she lurched into her house and dropped some food for her cat, Kero, before staggering up to her room and falling, fully clothed, into bed. She must have been more tired than she thought because she didn't realize she'd fallen asleep until she woke up several hours later.

Her legs were too warm and heavy, so she tried to kick her blankets off. Only when she heard a wild scrabbling did she realize that Kero had been sleeping on her.

"Sorry, Kero," she murmured, swinging her legs off of the bed. She wandered to her closet and began to strip off her uniform, pulling cooler clothes from the hangers. She tugged on her jeans and adjusted her bra before slipping her shirt on. A-cup. Pitiful little A-cup. She stared down the neck of her shirt in dismay. How could Li have considered her the most beautiful girl he'd ever met? It must have been the dress. That gown had been the last of Tomoyo's creations before she died. It would make anyone beautiful.

She smelled cooking as she made her way downstairs and saw a tall, aproned young man in front of the stove. She was still a little bleary-eyed and so hugged him from behind without first checking to make sure he was her brother.

"Thanks for earlier," she told him softly. "You were right -- I do still miss Tomoyo."

The boy in her arms had stiffened on first contact. "Who's Tomoyo?" he asked now, glancing over his shoulder at her. Amber eyes met hers and she jumped and squeaked in surprise.

"You're not Touya!" she accused.

He only lifted a brow. "Smart kid -- only took you a few minutes to figure that out." He was cool and impartial, his face a study in seriousness.

"There you are, Sakura." A brown head popped into the kitchen doorway, smiling his benign smile.

"Dad!" She smiled back, hurrying over to hug him and calm her warm cheeks at the same time.

"Touya's friends from Hong Kong have offered to make us dinner tonight. I hope that's okay."

"Sure," she replied, smiling up at her father. He ruffled her hair and left to help Meilin set the table. Sakura bent to feed a mewing Kero, and Syaoran spoke to her over his shoulder.

"Meilin offered. I'm just doing this to make sure she doesn't kill you all."

Sakura looked up at him, curious. "Does Meilin cook badly?"

He snorted, an action that brought out a small smile and put Sakura at ease. She was used to seeing him smile. "My honored cousin has many great skills, but cooking is not among them."

Sakura laughed a little and stood, dusting her hands off. "My brother says the same of me but without much truth to it."

She hoped he would continue to talk, but he only grunted a little, so she slunk from the kitchen feeling worse for having spoken to him.

The table looked elegant and exotic. Meilin had done an excellent job of setting it up.

Her dad caught her as she reached to pick up Kero. "Sakura," he said, worry in his eyes, "Touya said you had a bad day. Are you okay?"

She gave him a cheerful smile and nodded. "I think Touya overreacted a little -- but I appreciate the concern. And I did need that nap."

"You're going back to school tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

It showed the extent of his worry that he said, "You can stay home again if you need to."

She laughed and shook her head, happy that they cared so much about her. "I'm already behind, and I might not pass math if I take too much more time off. I'll be fine, Dad." She added the last when she saw the worry in his eyes. She had been out of school for several days after Tomoyo's death. Rika and some of the other girls had brought her homework by, but she hadn't been able to concentrate on it.

They all knew she'd been there when Tomoyo was killed. They just didn't know that she'd had the power to save her. They all thought she'd barely escaped with her life.

If her family knew she was still going out at night, they'd put her under house arrest.

Not that that would help.

"Syaoran is very good at math," Meilin bragged. She seemed to have overheard the end of their conversation. "He's even head of the class here -- Japanese schools are very bad. We're far ahead in Hong Kong!"

Syaoran gave Meilin a scathing look that meant "Don't you dare volunteer me for anything else."

"Really?" Fujitaka Kinomoto looked at the young man with interest. "Do you think you could help Sakura catch up? I could pay you for your time."

"Dad!" Sakura began to protest, red-faced, but her father put a silencing hand on her shoulder.

Syaoran, she could see, was struggling. He could have said no to Meilin or Sakura or even Touya. But their dad . . . "S-sure," he stuttered, looking miserable.

So Sakura went out that night, masked, with the threat of a tutoring session the next day hanging over her head.

Syaoran arrived on cue, still wearing his school uniform. Sakura made sure that she destroyed her attackers quickly and then used Sword to make quick work of his. When they stood facing each other, their swords melting away, Syaoran smiled at her.

Sakura didn't smile back. "Why are you here?" she demanded.

His smile slipped a little. "What?"

"You didn't help me tonight, you earned no reward. Why are you here? Answer me."

"Why are you being so cold?" he retorted, hurt evident in his eyes.

She softened a little. "You just appeared in this town. Who are you? Why are you here? And how do you know when and where magic is happening? Tell me, Syaoran Li."

He sat with his back against the big penguin, looking pensive. "I guess you already know that I have a little magic. What you don't know is that I inherited it from my parents. My mother is still a very strong power in Hong Kong."

"What about your dad?" she asked when he paused.

He glanced up. "He died before I could really remember him." Sakura nodded. The same had happened with her mother, but she didn't say anything. "My mother noticed a strong magical force in this area and sent me to investigate."

She looked at him. "So you're just investigating. Does that usually involve kissing strange girls?" She was accusing and hurt.

His head came up. "That wasn't part of the plan," he admitted. "I didn't expect to be . . . attracted to you."

She paused then spoke very softly. "Attracted to me or my magic?" If he were just attracted to her, he would have wanted to kiss Sakura, right?

"You're not being fair," he cried, standing.

"No," she agreed. "But how can I know how _I_ feel if I'm so uncertain about _you_?" Before he could reply, she melted into the night. Only her voice lingered. "Goodnight, Syaoran."

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**Please review if you are enjoying the story!**


	5. Learning

The next night, she defeated the monsters before he arrived. She allowed him one glimpse of her as she left, looking back at him over her shoulder. He tried to chase her, but no one could stand against the confusion her Illusion charm provided. 

She didn't feel _very _bad about it because of what had happened during her tutoring session. She'd found that while this Li boy had a talent to make her feel like a beautiful, mysterious woman, someone he needed and cherished, he also had the power to make her feel like a complete idiot.

"'I like nikuman'? You're not even trying!"

"But I'm hungry," she complained, "and tired. I can't concentrate."

He glared at her with those fierce yellow eyes and she glared right back. "I'm tired too." He sat back and rubbed his eyes, sighing. "But if you think I'm going to waste my time here while you dole out trash, you're wrong." They shared an equally frustrated look.

And she realized he thought she was dumb. Her temper flared. "I didn't _ask _to get behind in math, you know. I was just out of school for a while and couldn't catch up as easily as in my other classes." She sighed and looked at her notebook. "I was already struggling to keep my grade up. Now I just need to pass."

"Why were you out of school?"

She stiffened a little and withdrew. "None of your business."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Let's go over integers again." He withdrew as well and they had an equally unpleasant afternoon.

Therefore, she was still too angry with him that evening to risk speaking, but, when he tutored her the next day, she regretted avoiding him.

He had become tense and distracted, marking her wrong answers as correct and being generally useless as a tutor.

"Li," she finally said, putting her pencil down, "go home."

He came out of his reverie and looked surprised.

"Go home and get some rest -- you look like you need it."

"But." He looked at her half-finished homework.

"I'll have Touya or Yukito check it. Even they're better than you like this."

He gave in and gathered his things. She stopped him at the door.

"Li, cheer up, okay? Whatever's bothering you will be all right." She smiled and was gratified to get a small smile back.

"Thank you," he said and left.

That evening, she waited for him under the penguin, forming a shield to keep anything unwanted away and to draw _him _in. She knew he could smell the magic.

When he arrived, he was wary. He stalked the penguin before poking his sword at the magical barrier.

"Be careful where you put that thing," she laughed, reaching one hand out to draw him in. Recognizing her, he allowed himself to be pulled.

It was cramped with the two of them but Syaoran solved the problem by pulling her onto his lap. She flushed, but it was too dark for him to see. Only her dress and the paleness of their skin could really be made out in the darkness.

"You didn't need help tonight?" he asked, looking out onto the playground.

"Maybe later," she replied, knowing he wasn't the only thing her magic would summon. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"You were made at me," he offered to begin. "Why?"

She grimaced. "I'm sorry." Her arms were around his neck because it was more comfortable that way, but her face was close to his and it made it hard for her to breathe properly. "I . . . saw you." He nodded, his hair brushing her cheek.

"I saw you glance back."

She shook her head. "No, during the day. While you were at school."

They looked at each other in silence for a long while, then Syaoran dropped his eyes. "What did you see?"

She leaned against him, putting her head under his chin. "Someone who needs to smile more, who needs to trust people."

"If I work on it . . ."

"Then you'll be happier."

He pulled her close and his voice was gruff. "I'm not doing it for me."

She was being held so tight that her lips were right beside his ear. She could feel him tremble when she spoke, and she relished the power of it. "If you do this, you'll be that much closer to making me fall in love with you."

His arms around her became steely and he moved his head so that his lips were on hers. She kissed him back almost wonderingly. How could this annoying, insensitive boy make her legs tremble and her heart pound? It was so unfair.

The kiss this time was wild and a little desperate. They clung to each other and let their lips speak for them.

She only pulled back when she remembered who they were, but she continued to lean against him for comfort. She would have to suffer his not knowing her during the day, but he adored her in the evenings.

She would keep the evenings for herself.

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**Please review if you enjoy the story!**


	6. Pu'er

"Why don't you go get something to eat." 

Sakura's head came up out of her math homework. "Are you kidding?"

"I don't kid," he replied. "Your stomach is rumbling -- make it shut up so I can concentrate." He usually did his homework while he waited for her to finish her math.

She began to smile at him.

He glanced up. "What?"

"Nothing," she replied, laughing. "Do you want some tea?"

"Sure."

She paused at the door to glance back at him, at his steady pencil and the way his brow furrowed in concentration. She admired the neat way his long, lean body folded to kneel at the table.

_Smack!_ He'd closed his eyes and slammed his pencil down flat. "What!?"

"Sorry!" she squeaked and turned to hurry to the kitchen. There, she relaxed, dropping to her knees to scratch Kero behind the ears (he always appeared in the kitchen when she did, trying to get more food out of her) and put out a few pellets of dry catfood for him. "I'm really stupid, Kero." She sighed. "Let's be smarter from now on, okay?" Encouraged, she bounded to her feet and started making tea.

"Do you like sugar?" she asked as Li took his teacup.

"No." He began to drink it right away even though it was still steaming. "Pu'er." He looked at his cup, surprised. Pu'er was a Chinese black tea that he must have been familiar with, being from Hong Kong.

Sakura smiled. "It's one of my favorites. Do you like it?"

He shrugged. "I don't hate it." But he had three cups.

When the tea had cooled off and they had drunk all they wanted, Sakura did something that made even the imperturbable Li stare at her in confusion.

Taking her saucer and teacup, she lifted the cup and poured the dregs of her tea into the saucer. Then she set it on the floor beside her and made a clicking sound toward the door -- the kind of noise used to get the attention of animals.

Within moments, a small, silky streak of gold had trotted into the room. The cat went to the saucer of cold tea and began to lap it up.

"Good boy," Sakura murmured, scratching his head.

"You spoil that cat."

She looked up and met his eyes. "Sometimes," she murmured, "you need to spoil those you love."

Her solemn expression and tone were familiar to Syaoran, but she smiled before he could figure out how. She had such an impish smile, the green of her eyes brilliant in the light from the window behind him. She had her hair pulled back in a short ponytail that seemed to slim her face, though her smile broadened it out again.

For some reason, it made him want to smile back. Unfortunately, she noticed the twitching around his lips.

"What?" she asked, looking befuddled.

He hesitated but gave in. "You have a nice smile. Strong teeth." He picked up his pencil and went back to his homework. He didn't see her expression soften.

Eventually, it dissolved into mischeif. "Don't let my brother hear you say that," she laughed, taking the tea away.

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**Please review if you enjoy the story!**

**Tea: **Pu'er is a real kind of tea. I searched google for Chinese black teas (I love Twinings' Prince of Wales, a tea made from black Chinese blends, but can't get it easily in the states) and found a few different kinds. Voila.


	7. Spoil

He found her in his arms, warm and willing, raining kisses on his face. He laughed. "I haven't even asked for a reward yet -- what did I do to deserve this?" 

"You listened to me." She kissed his face and he pulled her closer, stilling her lips with his own. "Thank you," she breathed into his shoulder when he released her.

"Who are you?" he murmured into her hair. "What's your real name? I want to see you in the daylight. I want to kiss you in the daylight."

A thrill of excitement and dread ran through her. "I'll tell you what. If you can figure out who I am, I'll tell you if you're right."

"I wish you would just tell me," he murmured. He loved the scent on her hair. What blossom was that? He knew it, but . . .

"If your heart can't recognize me, then you don't love me."

He pulled back. "Wait, that's not fair." He was scared now, anxious. "When? Why?"

She put a finger to his lips. "No time limit. No rules. Just find me." She kissed him. "Please."

She started to melt away, but he pulled her back. "Wait. I haven't made my request. I helped tonight, right?"

She gave a sardonic look at the dark, slumped bodies. They hadn't stood a chance. "Of course."

Instead of asking useless questions about her identity, he pulled something from his pocket and held it out to her. "Someone told me today that you are supposed to spoil those you . . . care about. So I request that you accept this."

She took it, wondering. It was hard and velvet in her hands, and when she opened it the contents glowed like congealed moonbeams. "Syaoran," she breathed, lifting the pearl bracelet from the box, "it's beautiful." Tears filled her eyes as he fastened it on her wrist.

"Please don't cry, darling," he said softly, holding her.

"It's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me." She kissed him, her tears making it salty. "Thank you."

Neither of them saw the figure in the shadows, watching them with stunned, tear-filled eyes.

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**Hi! First, please review if you're being at all entertained. Second, please tell me if you see any spelling errors so that I can fix them. I usually don't have them because I usually write in a Word document (but I'm not for this) which tells me that"wre" doesn't exist. It's embarrassing, and I'd like to avoid these things if I can.**

**Note to Self: **Ch5, she was "mad," not "made." Ch4, "wre." Fix.


	8. Break

"You were _kissing _her." 

"Meilin, stop it. You're going to make a scene." He glanced around the schoolyard but nobody was near enough to hear their hushed argument. A few cheerleaders were having a loud, playful conversation, and he could see the Kinomoto siblings by the fountain. They were having a peaceful lunch with their friend Tsukishiro.

"I knew something was up when you bought that bracelet and tried to hide it from me. We're supposed to get married in just two more years, Syaoran. But I _saw _you kissing her. At least tell me who she is so I can hate her properly." Her eyes were wet and she was trembling. Then, when he didn't answer, she asked "Do you like her better than me?"

He sighed. "I like you both in different ways."

The tears were falling now. "I need to go call my mom." She left him alone on the small wall, miserable and friendless.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Only a pair of green eyes noticed him wipe a tear away.


	9. Plans

Sakura wore the bracelet under her school sleeves and behind her watch. That way, no one saw it but she kept it with her at all times. 

"We're going to that new jewelry store after school today -- do you want to come, Sakura?"

Sakura slumped a little. She really wanted to go, but she had her math tutoring. "Sorry, Chiharu, I have somewhere else to be."

"Okay." Disappointed, Chiharu turned to leave, but a strong voice stopped her.

"Wait." Touya looked at his little sister, meeting her eyes. "Go. I'll tell him you'll be late."

"Really?" Her eyes were bright.

Touya nodded, fighting a smile.

"I'll be there, Chiharu!"

"Great!" She went to tell their friends.

Sakura used to eat with her friends, but ever since she saw Tomoyo die she had eaten with her brother and Yukito. They were her primary support system after the accident and it was still fresh enough for her to stick by them. Neither young man protested, though Touya insisted on exercising his right to tease her.

"You have to do my chores for a week," he told her when she tried to thank him. That shut her up.

* * *

"That's okay," Li replied when Touya told him. "I may not even be able to do it today."

"Really," Touya replied.

There was something to the tone of his voice that made Li look up. The young man's eyes wanted to know what was more important than his little sister's education. "There are some things I have to take care of." He glanced at Meilin's empty desk, and Touya caught it.

"Call us if you can't come."

"Okay."


	10. Real

She was clumsy that night because her focus was off. Syaoran ended up saving her twice. 

When the park was quiet again, they faced each other.

"What's gotten to you?" he asked, pushing some hair off her cheek and brushing the lace of her mask at the same time. Sometimes he hated that thing, hated the way the lace tickled him when they kissed, hated how it kept her from him. "You're usually not this absent-minded."

She gave him a look he couldn't decipher and said, "It's real."

He looked confused until she held up her wrist, the pearls gleaming in the dappled shadows of the park's tree-lined pathway. "The bracelet? Of course it's real." He was confused. What kind of guy gave a girl fake jewelry if he could easily afford the real thing?

"'Of course'?!" She sounded slightly hysterical. "I thought it was costume jewelry! Pretty and sentimental, but worthless. You can't get me REAL pearls!"

He looked at her oddly. "Why can't I?"

"You're just eighteen! You're still in school; you don't have a job! What?" She paused.

"Seventeen," he corrected. "My school was ahead of yours so I got bumped up a grade.

"Oh." She looked like this new information had superceded her interest in ranting at him, for which he was grateful.

"Look," he said, "if you're worried about money, my family can afford it. In fact, my mother tells me I need to spend a lot more if I'm going to keep up with my sisters. If you're worried about something else, don't be. I love you, and I want you to have it. If you just don't like it, I can get you something else."

She was looking up at him with a startled expression. "That's the first time you've said you loved me."

"Is it?" He looked uncomfortable, shifting his eyes away. "I've thought it before."

"How can you know if you love me already?"

He shrugged. "I just do." They stood in silence. "How can I prove it?" He wanted her to believe him.

"Find me," she said, and then disappeared into the dark.


	11. Search

At school, Syaoran saw pearl bracelets everywhere. He'd never realized how many girls wore bracelets before, but now he was sure there were quite too many. 

By the time he got to his tutoring session with Kinomoto, he was frustrated beyond endurance.

"Do _you _know anyone with a pearl bracelet?" he asked her when he sat down.

Sakura looked startled but gave the thought serious consideration. "Several people," she replied. "Tomoyo had two, at least."

Feeling that this route wasn't going anywhere, he latched onto her more interesting comment. "You always talk about your friend Tomoyo, but I've never seen her. What happened? Did she move away?"

She stared at him, then at her homework, and he had the horrible feeling that she was about to cry. "Do you remember," she said in a very small voice, "I was out of school for a while? It was because Tomoyo died. And I saw it." She looked up at him, her green eyes sparkling with unshed tears, and tried to smile. It came out bitter and watery. "The funny thing is, she died because she followed me out at night. It was my fault."

He looked at the table, at his fingers as he played with his pencil. "My cousin has followed me everywhere since we were four. Eventually," he put his pencil down gently, "I gave up and just let her. Even if I told her to leave me alone, she didn't listen. Ever." He looked up and met her eyes again. "Would Tomoyo have listened if you'd told her to stay home?"

"Not unless I was mean," Sakura said, the tears falling steadily down her cheeks.

"I don't think you could be mean if you tried," he replied. It was true -- in the little time he'd known this girl, he'd never seen her be rude or petty.

"Thanks," she sniffled, laughing a little.

"It wasn't a compliment," he retorted, but he was smiling too.

When she saw him out, she remembered something. "I didn't see Meilin at school today. Is she ill?"

"She went home to Hong Kong yesterday afternoon." He saw her stunned expression. "You told me something hard, so I'll reciprocate. Meilin and I were engaged. I broke it off yesterday."

Sakura couldn't help the gasp that came out.

He shrugged. "I meant to for years but never had a good reason. Even when I had a reason, I didn't have the nerve."

"What was the reason?"

He gave her a small smile. "Private."

"Sorry." Abashed, she looked away. But she had an idea about his reason -- someone he'd been kissing a lot lately.

She realized how close they were, standing on either side of the doorframe. It was much closer than sitting across her livingroom table with books everywhere. She could feel a breeze on her face and turned into it, trying to cool her cheeks. She remembered how warm his arms were, how safe his chest, how soft his lips. It made her want to quiver, but she brutally supressed the emotion and kept her distance.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kinomoto," he finally said.

She stood for a minute after he was gone, thinking silly thoughts, then turned and went inside.

* * *

**I'll try to post all of the story before Saturday the 1st, so you may get many new chapters added on Friday. This is because my wedding is this weekend and my honeymoon is next week, and however much I want to get this all up for you guys . . .the honeymoon cabin doesn't have a computer.**


	12. Progress Report

"How are you doing?" 

"Badly," he replied. They stood, again, in the aftermath of a battle, but neither heeded the mess around them. "Will you at least tell me why? Why do I have to find out who you are before you'll tell me?"

"Because when you find out, you have to make a choice. You have to decide if you still want me."

"That's insane!" he exclaimed, but she held up a hand to silence him.

"My greatest fear in this is that once you find out who I am, you won't want me. To make it easier for both of us, you have the decision whether you want it or not."

Her goodbye kiss was sad. "Take care of yourself."


	13. Dinner

"Li, would you like to stay for dinner?" Fujitaka Kinomoto asked. "Sakura's trying a new dish on us." 

"Don't stay -- run. Run for your life," Touya said, nose buried in the newspaper. He nimbly dodged a chopstick which had been thrown from the kitchen.

"Worry about yourself, big brother," Sakura shot at him from the doorway. Then she turned and smiled at Li. "Please stay -- the recipe makes too much for us to eat alone."

"Let me call home and tell Wei," he replied, giving in.

Sakura bounced back to the stove, cheerful. Syaoran was having dinner with them!

A little while later, warm furriness rubbed against her ankles, purring. "Touya!" she called. "Come feed Kero!"

"I'm busy," he called back.

"Come feed him, or I'll poison you."

She could hear him grumbling as he folded his paper and smiled to herself. When he was in the kitchen, she glanced over her shoulder at him. "Do you think Yukito would like to eat with us too?"

He dusted the cat food off his hands and stood. "He never passes up food. Should I call him?"

"Yeah," she said.

So the five of them sat down at the Kinomoto family's small table and began to eat.

"This is wonderful, Sakura!" Yukito said when he had tasted the food. Li, keeping his eyes down politely and chopsticks moving, nodded his agreement but didn't say anything.

She blushed. "Thank you, but I have a long way to go before I'm as good as dad."

"I'm just waiting for the poison to set in," Touya said. He ducked another flying chopstick without blinking and continued to eat.

Sakura, left with only one chopstick, excused herself to get another set. When she came back, she caught a small, laughing smile Syaoran was throwing her and flushed to her hair roots.

Near the end of the meal, Syaoran noticed a photograph sitting to one side of the table. He was curious about it but didn't ask. Even though Touya and Yukito had shown Meilin and him around the school, he barely knew them. Fujitaka's assumption that he and Touya were friends that night Meilin offered to cook was _only _an assumption. Yukito and Meilin had made the plans. Touya and Syaoran had just let them, not even bothering to exhaust themselves protesting.

In an odd twist, Syaoran felt most comfortable with the sister, Sakura. As tutor and tutee, their relationship was straightforward; he had always liked knowing where he stood. But she also made him smile more than he usually did around others -- he'd even opened up to her about Meilin.

"That's mom."

He pulled himself out of his thoughts and looked at Sakura. She was giving him a soft, cheerful smile. "Mom died when I was too little to remember, but we like to keep her close by."

"That's nice." He suddenly saw the stark contrast between his family and hers. Both single-parent families, yes, but this was an example of warmth and compassion and never-ending love. His family . . .

His mother was an impressive, dominating woman who demanded high standards of her children. His sisters . . . well, he had finally gotten too big for them to put their old dresses on him.


	14. Heart to Heart

"Can you cook?" he asked her that evening. He was in an odd mood. Talkative. 

"Why don't _you _tell _me_?" They were walking together along the jogging path. Since the death tolls had gone up, no one frequented the park at night anymore.

He shook his head, smiling. "I can't get a straight answer from you anymore, can I?" He sighed and they walked in silence for a little longer. "Did you know I have four sisters?" He nodded when she looked at him. She was white and fluttery in the moonlight, like a goddess. "Four. They love makeup and jewelry and clothes. They'll play dress-up with anything that moves -- including me." He have a short laugh, and she giggled at the image.

"How old are they?" she asked, expecting them to be very young.

"Late twenties, early thirties." He smiled, and she stared at him for a moment. Then they both started laughing -- loud, honest laughter that rang through the park.

When they calmed down, he kissed her -- slow and sweet -- and drew his sword to face the enemies they'd attracted.

She watched him for a moment, allowing her heart to ache for love of him, then turned and almost cheerfully cast the Fiery spell.

"Erase," she murmured when she was finished. She usually cleaned up from her room before she fell asleep -- the Erase spell worked well even over distances -- but tonight she felt extra-responsible and so cleaned up the bodies right away.

"So that's why I never hear about this on the news. Useful spell."

"It comes in handy." She smiled at him, and he paused to just look at her for a long moment. Her skirt was light and airy and the top corsetted her in, emphasizing her slenderness. She looked like a swan, and she was smiling at him. "You're very strong," she told him, her eyes behind the mask caressing his face.

"And you're beautiful." He reached to touch her, but she danced out of the way, laughter on her lips. He played along, allowing his fingers to brush her waist before he swung her into his arms. There, she sobered, her posture swaying uncertainly.

"I'm still . . . scared, Syaoran."

His body turned heavy and his arms loosened, not quite letting her go. "Why?!" She flinched at the pain in his voice. "Why can't you trust me? You can trust me with your life, but you can't trust me with your heart. You can't even trust me with your _identity_!" He was yelling, and he didn't care. "Do I even mean anything to you?"

Stricken by his words, she fell to her knees. Her skirts pooled around her and she covered her face. Automatically feeling like a louse, he knelt in front of her and took her hands in his.

"Not fair, I know. Sorry."

"No," she sniffled, "you're right. _I'm _sorry." She raised her face and looked at him. "I promise, Syaoran, that I'll meet you at the festival that's coming up. And before the night is over, you'll know who I am."

A slow smile bloomed on his face. "It's a deal."


	15. Friends

"Li?" 

"Yes, Kinomoto?"

"Are you going to the festival next week?"

"I am." He watched her chew on her bottom lip. She did that when she was nervous -- it was cute. He smiled a little to calm her down.

"Are we . . . friends?" she asked.

He thought about it. "I suppose so." He was surprised by the question but didn't show it. Of all the people he associated with, Sakura was most like a friend to him. He'd just never thought about it before -- too busy thinking about which girl in his class could be the Clow Mistress.

She seemed to relax. "Well, I was thinking. My family is going to the festival, and usually I would take Tomoyo. But since we're both short one faithful companion, would you like to go with us?" At his hesitant expression, she added, "You don't have to stay with us the whole time. I just find it more fun to go and leave with other people." She had completely lost her confidence, and Li couldn't help but laugh.

"Okay. But I'm meeting someone."

"What time?" she asked.

He turned sheepish. "I don't know. She just said she'd meet me."

Sakura's expression turned sly in a moment. "She?" she asked, smiling. If she had been close enough, she would have nudged him.

He flushed like mad, which only made her laugh. "Kinomoto!" he protested.

She shook her head, still smiling. "Sorry. I won't tease you. And since we're friends, it's 'Sakura.'"

"Sakura." It was pretty, but he felt odd saying it. He pulled her homework toward him for something innocuous to do. "This one's wrong," he said.

Her groan took them back to their normal routine.


	16. Festival

The rule with monsters was that as long as things were quiet, they wouldn't come out. Noise and magic, though, drew them like flies. 

The night under the penguin, Sakura had flexed her shield outward to fling the clinging creatures from their hideout. She and Syaoran defeated them by staying under the shield and slicing down anything that came up to it.

Luckily for them, monsters weren't too bright and didn't learn quickly, so they'd left a large pile of carrion by the time they went home. Their energy was drained because of the long seige process, not because of any intensive battle.

Another rule of monsters was that they would not go near light. This was why the town was bustling with more lanterns than ever used before at festival-time. Policemen would be posted with flood-lights in case of attack, but the people were being assured of safety. Safety in the light, safety in numbers, safety near the policemen.

It was a recipe for disaster and Sakura knew it. But she got ready for it cheerfully enough. She wore her favorite kimono -- pink silk with white embroidered flowers -- and a white obi. She put flowers in her hair and fluffed it.

"Sakura, you look pretty," her dad said when she came down the stairs. Yukito and Syaoran were already there. Touya was tugging on his collar and looking miserable.

"You look as good as a monster can." Touya ducked a hamster-slipper and his little sister finished her way down the stairs a little lopsided.

She and Syaoran were the last two out, he handing her her slipper and she thanking him sedately as she pulled on her sandels. He, however, was smiling.

"You make me laugh, Kinomoto."

"Sakura," she corrected, privately elated.

"Sakura," he agreed.

She felt a thrill at her name on his lips. The last week had been pleasant, both during tutoring and at night. Working together, they talked more than they had before, sharing stories and points of interest. At night, though she tried not to kiss him as much anymore (too worried about his possible rejection of her once he found out who she was), he revealed deeper things -- things she could tell that her daytime discussions with him evoked but that he felt uncomfortable telling to only a friend. She cherished both times with him but learned that she deeply desired a melding of the two -- so by the festival, she was as ready to end the charade as he was, though much more nervous about it.

Her front walk was lined with lanterns, as was every front walk and street. There were streetlights, but strung between them for extra protection were lantern upon lantern. It made the walk to the festival a quiet, pleasant experience of soft, rosy lighting.

She could feel dark creatures lurking in the shadows beyond, but she ignored them. Only if they infringed upon the light would she pay attention to them.

And they would be sorry.

Sakura noticed that Syaoran got more and more tense as they got near the festival. He started tugging at his collar as if he couldn't breath properly. Finally, she put a hand on his arm and spoke too softly for anyone else to hear. "Calm down. You look great -- she'll be very impressed."

He looked startled and might have tried to deny it but gave up in the middle of opening his mouth. "Thanks." She hadn't mentioned the girl he was meeting all week and he had appreciated it. He was a private person, and he knew Sakura had come to understand that. He shot her a grateful smile that she returned, and they arrived.

Sakura noticed the glare Touya was throwing Syaoran, but the young man beside her was oblivious. He was looking around at the people as if searching for someone. There was a small, nervous frown on his face.

"Do you want to play some games while you wait? It's easier to be found if you stay around one area." Again, her voice was too soft to be overheard.

"Okay." He followed them to several games and won a small stuffed rabbit, which he held on to. Anything Touya or Yukito won, they gave to Sakura. Eventually her dad had to help carry all the stuffed animals. "I'm going to wander around by myself a bit," Syaoran said after a while.

"Okay. Be careful." She pushed a plush paw out of the way with her chin to look at him.

He smiled at her and left.

She wondered why he was so dumb, then went back to trying to catch a fish with a paper fan. He should have figured it out already. Were all boys this blind?

It was an hour or two before she got worried enough to go look for him. She found him in a more shadowy place than most, sitting and looking desolate.

She knelt beside him. "You okay?"

He didn't move or look at her. "Not really."

"Then I guess . . ."

"She hasn't come, no." He did lift his head then. "Do you think she got scared off because I was with you? Do you think she got confused?"

"No." She saw his hope drain away and got annoyed with him. "You know, you really are dense. She hasn't forgotten about you, so stop moping." He flinched back as if she'd struck him, and she leaned forward, hugging him before he could get away. "Maybe you've been given a huge clue, and she wants you to figure it out, doofus."

Her head was under his chin and he inhaled in surprise, confused at her odd outburst. This definitely wouldn't look good if _she _found them. He started to pull away but stopped and inhaled again. The scent on her hair was familiar . . .

"Sakura," he murmured, feeling as if he was on the edge of a revelation, and one thing hit him. "Sakura blossoms."

She backed up to stare at him. "What?"

"That's what your hair smells like: sakura blossoms. _Her _hair . . ." His eyes narrowed. "You . . ."

"Yes?" she breathed, hopeful.

"You use the same shampoo!"

She fell over and slapped him almost at the same time. "Idiot," she muttered, but he had grabbed her hand.

He stared at it, stunned. "This . . . is the bracelet I gave --"

"-- me," she whispered, tears of relief nearly springing to her eyes. "You gave _me_." She looked at it to avoid looking in his eyes. "I thought you would notice sooner."

He took his hands from her and put them, masklike, in front of her eyes. She did look at him then, seeing full acceptance bloom in him and feeling dread bloom in her own heart.

He recognized her mouth, her chin, her hair, and wondered why he'd never noticed before. He ran one hand down her cheek and slipped the other arm around her waist -- only then did he realize that she was crying. Slow, fat tears as she watched him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, wiping them away with his thumb.

"I'm afraid."

"Of what?"

"Of what you think of me."

He moved closer so that they were touching. "Do you love me?"

"Of course," she sniffled.

"And I love you. Are you still scared?"

"A little." She leaned into him, gaining warmth from his presence.

"Why?" He held her tight.

"You should be angry with me."

He rocked her a little, trying to convey his feelings through touch alone. "I wish you would have told me sooner, but I'm not angry. I _do _feel a little foolish."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. I love you, Sakura."

"I love you too."

His lips were tender and his arms were strong as he held her. He made up for all the trouble, all his denseness, all her fear. He kissed her until the world around them went dark and the only light was her.

Syaoran lifted his head. Screams were not part of a romantic reverie. The two stood, looking around. Everything really was dark.

"The festival!" Syaoran cried, making a move to go, but Sakura held him back.

"Wait," she said, turning to the space around her. "Glow," she called, "protect the streets." A small pixie flew from her hands, trailing light behind her. High in the sky, she sent light drifting onto the pathways people might need, lighting them just enough for safe travel. "Fiery, take the offensive. Windy, the defensive. Keep the people safe." They too went out on her command. "Mirror, get my family home." A girl with beautiful long hair and gentle eyes nodded, then became Sakura's doppleganger and hurried off.

Sakura turned to Syaoran and took his hand. "Keep hold of me," she said. "Light, make us shine."

They began to glow and their eyes met.

"We're going to find the reason for this," Sakura told Syaoran as they ran through cringing bands of monsters. None of them touched the pair, but they followed the scent of magic as if drugged.

They stopped in front of a pool half-hidden by the trees. It was an area blocked off from sight most of the time, but Sakura felt an ugly inky power underneath the water.

"Can you defend me?"

He pulled his sword out and winked at her. "With my life, darling."

She turned to the water. "Darkness," she called, "pull. Watery, push. BRING HIM OUT!"

The two spells combined were able to heave something huge, dark, and toadlike from the water.

"I'm dropping our defenses," she cast back to Syaoran. "Light," she called, silently letting go of Fiery, Windy, and Watery, "embrace and destroy my enemy." Once Light had hold of the monster, she let Dark fade back into her magic. The only two spells she maintained were Mirror and Glow -- one to fool her family and one to protect her town.

Light was struggling. Sakura was worried she would have to drop everything else to help her, but she didn't want to think about what would happen to the town if she stopped Glow.

Setting her jaw, she withdrew Mirror, determined to finish this quickly.

Light gained the upper hand, but it still wasn't enough. Sakura knew letting go at this point would be disastrous, so she played her last advantage.

She removed Glow.

Now that she could give all of herself to Light, she did so with abandon. She lit up the pool's alcove, blindingly bright, and the creature in her arms began to shriek.

Warm arms surrounded her and her straining magic stores built and pulsed with fresh power, driving the spell to new heights.

In moments, the monster was crushed.

The lanterns relit, the streetlights flickered back on, and a shrieking that was not human went up from the city.

In all parts of Tomoeda, the terrors in the night were dying.

Syaoran and Sakura slumped to the ground, looked at each other, and smiled.


	17. Epilogue

"I've had this magic since I was in grade school, practicing and growing, but I've never had to kill anything with it until last year. Those things just moved in and people started dying. They thought it was human and there was a concentrated police effort to catch the people responsible. 

"But half the police force was killed or wounded. After that, nobody really went out anymore. Nobody talked about it. It was just understood -- don't be out after dark." She snuggled further into Syaoran's arms. The night was chill and her kimono wasn't very warm. She knew her family would be worried, but she needed to fill Syaoran in before she tried to convince her family that she'd just gotten separated from them. In all honesty, she didn't know what they'd seen. Mirror may have just disappeared right in front of them. It was something she knew she might have to face eventually, their finding out. If it came to that, she was prepared.

"So I tried to take them on myself. I was pretty good -- and Tomoyo was happy. She had three hobbies: making my fighting clothes, singing, and videotaping me in battle. She'd done it since we were kids and nothing had ever attacked her if she stayed well-hidden.

"But this one night, I didn't realize they'd seen us come in. And I didn't know that while some of them came at me, the others went around after Tomoyo."

Her eyes filled and he held her tighter. "I didn't know they had her until she screamed. I tried to help her, but one pushed me down, and by the time I got up again she was dead."

He sat back, imagining Sakura clawing to get up and help her friend, screaming and unleashing her magic.

"I told my family that I had run. I was faster than Tomoyo. They believed me."

He held her for a long while, and she would intermittently remember something and tell him.

"I was in a few newspapers, but nobody really found tragedy exciting anymore -- too many people had been killed.

"The second week after the accident, Touya said Tomoyo was watching over me with mom. He always used to talk about seeing ghosts, it made me curious." It made Syaoran curious. If Sakura had magic, maybe Touya did.

"Tomoyo had once shown me where she kept the videos of my fights. I had to sneak in the next night to remove them. I couldn't let her mom find out.

"I would have liked one or two of the costumes she made me, but her mom would have missed them -- we kept them at Tomoyo's house and her mom had gone through all of her clothing right after the accident, just touching the dresses and crying. She would have noticed, I know she would. I would have noticed if one of mom's dresses had gone missing."

Near midnight, they started toward her home. As they walked, Syaoran thought. "What are you going to do with your last battle costume if the monsters don't come back?"

Sakura was sleepy. "Put it in the back of my closet, I guess."

"You should have it cleaned and store it. It would make a beautiful wedding dress." She looked up at him and he flushed. "Whenever you get married," he amended hastily. She nodded. Neither of them were ready for that kind of commitment but both of them understood what was in their hearts. They knew it would probably come to that eventually.

"That's a good idea," she replied as they reached her house. She liked the idea of wearing Tomoyo's last creation in her wedding. "I'll do that."

"Come on," Syaoran grinned. "Let's convince your family that we were making out instead of running for our lives."

Sakura chuckled. "If you tell Touya that, you _will _be running for your life."

They laughed all the way into the house.

**End**

* * *

**If you enjoyed this, please leave a review! Supporting your fanfiction writers is a good practice because it encourages us to be your slaves. Also, please feel free to try my other CCS fic, _Tournament of Princes_. And h****ave a great day.**


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